# US 11,307,211 B2 · PCR tube, RFID sample management system, and RFID sample management method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,307,211 B2
- Document ID: US11307211B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/297,739
- Filed: 2019-03-11
- Published: 2019-07-04
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-13
- Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation
- Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation
- Inventors: Yasuhisa Kaneko
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307211B2

## CPC

- G01N 35/00732: {Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers}
- B01L 3/5453: {for test tubes}
- B01L 3/5457: {for container closures}
- C12M 1/00: Apparatus for enzymology or microbiology
- G01N 35/026: {having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes}
- G06K 7/10366: {the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications}
- G06K 19/07758: {arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag}
- G06K 19/07773: {Antenna details (antennas for wireless devices, e.g. RFID tags, in general H01Q1/22)}
- B01L 2300/021: Identification, e.g. bar codes
- B01L 2300/04: Closures and closing means
- B01L 2300/0832: cylindrical, tube shaped
- G01N 2035/00782: {reprogrammmable code}
- G01N 2035/0418: {Plate elements with several rows of samples}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS

## Abstract

Provided are a PCR tube that can reliably perform management of a sample, and an RFID sample management system and an RFID sample management method using the PCR tube. The PCR tube 40 includes a tube body 42 that has an opening at one end and has a collar part 46 around the opening, and a lid part 44 that is attachably and detachably mounted on the tube body 42 and seals the opening of the tube body 42 at the time of the mounting. An RFID tag 48 having a passive antenna built therein is provided at the collar part 46 or the lid part 44, and the antenna has directivity in a direction opposite to a bottom face 42a of the tube body 42.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A PCR tube comprising:
a tube body that has an opening at one end and has a collar part around the opening; and
a lid part that is attachably and detachably mounted on the tube body and seals the opening of the tube body at the time of mounting,
wherein an RFID tag having a passive antenna built therein is provided at the lid part, and
wherein the antenna has directivity in a direction opposite to a bottom face of the tube body, and the bottom surface of the tube body is on a side opposite to an RFID reader/writer and the lid part.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The PCR tube according to claim 1, further comprising:
a positioning part that determines a position of the RFID tag in a case where the tube body is disposed on a well plate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The PCR tube according to claim 2,
wherein the positioning part is a notch part provided in the collar part.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The PCR tube according to claim 1,
wherein the RFID tag provided at the lid part is attachable and detachable.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The PCR tube according to claim 4,
wherein the RFID tag is disposed within a structural body made of a light-transmissive material, and
wherein the lid part has a recess to which the structural body is attachable in a fitting manner.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The PCR tube according to claim 5,
wherein the light-transmissive material is a material selected from polypropylene, polystyrene, and acrylic resin.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The PCR tube according to claim 1,
wherein a code configured in one dimension or two dimensions is described in the tube body.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The PCR tube according to claim 1,
wherein at least any one of information of a cell or arrangement information of the tube body on a well plate is described in the tube body.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

An RFID sample management system comprising:
the PCR tube according to claim 1;
a well plate having a well holder in which the PCR tube is disposed; and
the RFID reader/writer that has a reader/writer antenna and is capable of being disposed on a side opposite to the bottom face of the tube body.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The RFID sample management system according to claim 9,
wherein a plurality of the reader/writer antennas are provided, and the plurality of reader/writer antennas are disposed at positions corresponding to the well holders of the well plate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The RFID sample management system according to claim 9, further comprising:
scanning means for scanning the RFID reader/writer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The RFID sample management system according to claim 9, further comprising:
determination means for determining whether or not next processing of a cell within the tube body is to be performed; and
display means for displaying the cell determined to be subjected to the next processing by the determination means.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The RFID sample management system according to claim 12,
wherein the display means is provided on the bottom face side of the tube body.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

An RFID sample management method comprising:
a first writing step of writing at least any one of information of a cell to be fractionated or arrangement information of a tube body disposed on a well plate, in the RFID tag of the PCR tube according to claim 1;
a step of fractionating the cell in the PCR tube disposed on the well plate;
a step of imaging the fractionated cell and acquiring a cell image;
a step of sorting a target cell on the basis of the cell image;
a step of reading the information from the RFID tag of the PCR tube with the RFID reader/writer disposed on a side opposite the bottom face of the tube body; and
a second writing step of writing information of the target cell in the RFID tag of the PCR tube.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The RFID sample management method according to claim 14, further comprising:
a code printing step of describing a code configured in one dimension or two dimensions in the tube body before the step of fractionating the cell.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The RFID sample management method according to claim 14, further comprising:
a character printing step of describing at least any one of the information of the cell or the arrangement information of the tube body on the well plate, in the tube body, before the step of fractionating the cell.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The RFID sample management method according to claim 14,
wherein a display means is provided at a position that faces each tube body,
the method further comprising:
a step of turning on the display means corresponding to the tube body to which the target cell sorted in the sorting step is fractionated.